The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), in partnership with 2010 President Arturo González, Morrison & Foerster, recently announced the Arturo González Summer Law Student Fellowship.
The fellowships are for law students who want to gain exposure to key practice areas and acquire significant practical experience. Law student fellows receive a stipend in the amount of $2,500 for an eight-week fellowship, which will occur in June and July.
González will fund fellowships this summer for two JDC programs and a fellowship with California Rural Legal Assistance. For JDC, the fellows will work with its Immigration Legal Defense Programs and its Family Law Program.
González has challenged partners at San Francisco law firms to follow his lead, saying, “There is a tremendous need for increased legal services and for summer jobs for law students. If we all chip in, we can help to address both issues.”
As chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Commercial Litigation and Trial Practice Group, González is well respected by his peers and legal professionals throughout the country. He started his career at Morrison & Foerster and in 1992 became the firm’s first Latino partner. His work as BASF president, where he created the Bottom Line Partnership Task Force to study diversity in San Francisco law firms, exemplifies his commitment to giving back to the community.
BASF/JDC Executive Director Yolanda Jackson was delighted to learn of the new fellowship program and the opportunities it will provide to law students. According to Jackson, “Arturo’s commitment to diversity within the legal profession has long been an inspiration to the staff and leadership of BASF and JDC. His tireless efforts to promote diversity, combined with his work to ensure that legal services are available to those who need it most, but cannot afford it, has been transformational for scores of San Franciscans. We want to thank Arturo for his continued vision for diversity and access to justice.”
If you are interested in accepting Arturo Gonzáles’ funding challenge, contact JDC’s Steve Love at slove@sfbar.org or 415-782-8917.
